Conveyer mechanism



May 2, 1933. v R, E TALLEY 1,906,659

CONVEYER MECHANI SM Filed Feb. 18 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 18, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 R. E. TALLEY CONVEYER MECHANI SM Filed Feb.

May 2,` 1933.

so i

vlat*exited,l-Vlay 1933Y v RANDALfETALLEYgf-orflawN, rmNsYLvANm; 'AssIeNonTo GEORGE HAGAN orrrmfsmm PENNSYLVANIA, A conronA'rIoN 0FL PENNSYLVANIA MECHANISM f fl Applicata-nage Februari 1s, '1931; l serial No. 4516,612;

4vThis yinvention relates'to conveyer'mech# anism, more particularly to conveyers of the n endless chain type. adaptedespecially for usein industrial heating furnaces.

Itis among the objectsof this invention to provide conveyer mechanism in whichthe ware-bearing'strand shall be adapted 'for positive intermittent movement and in which 'the conveyer actuating mechanism is adapt- 10 ed to advance the conveyer a. predetermined yamount independent of variations 1n expansionof the conveyerV links, v "lhfenconveyers oftheen'dl'ess'chain type duetoexpansion of the links Whjensubjected to the high temperature 'of thefurna'ce, and on this account .a'sprocket 'wheel-conveyer drive is unsatisfactory jdu'e Ato thevariations in the pitch of the links by the expansion aforesaid.: 4 y y f i "Other methods of Aactlriatirrg the fconveyer by employ'ingptension rollers "or the rlike for frictional contactwith a 'driving drum .are

able di culty Ain operation y In accordance .With the "present invention, it is proposed to employ a ydrive mechanism which is Vpositive in its yaction and which'is adapted [top engage the successive jlinks ofthe conveyerl in and 'positive grip to "ad-r Vance thesame in the kdirection of its travel.

The4 nature yof the apparatus willl Ybecome more 'apparent from ja consideration o'f'flthe 35 'accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate 'like parts, and kin which:

ceiving the "Workr to4 behconveyed theresimilarl unsatisfactory and :cause 'consider-l j'Figure 1 is a 'longitudinalsectional 4view of a heating 'furnaceand conveyer mech- `vention; v y I Figure 2 an enlarged detail of the lten-V sion and actuating mechanisms 'atfthe chuarg?l ing endk ofthe furnace; j, Y

Figure 3 across 'sectional Viewv vpartially in elevation of the tension device taken along taken along the line IV-`-IV, Figure-2.

i "50" With referenceto Figure l of thevdrawanisin embodying the principles lof this -in. i

ings,the structure thereinillustratedlcom-k prises top, side'an'dfend walls 1,2, y3 and`4y respectivel ,formingla heating 'chamber or mullie as t e case may be, in Whichfis dis; Y

posed ka conveyer mechanismv generally desig 155 fnated at 5i End walls 3 andftare'provided with doorsG land acharging'platforxn is provided on one end of thefurna'ce Yfor re through. The discharge end ofthe furnace -00 l ijs v*providQ-ifd with a chute ,Sthrough Y which thejmateral vdropsfin its'V exit from the furnace! e are employed 'infindustrial heating furnaces, they Yfare subjectedy to variations' in 4length The conveyer mechanism" fifcomprises4` an@l endless chain 9 supported at its endson M' sheavewhe'els 10 and 11', thewheels'lf() 'ing in `fixed position adjacent thev chute; l8

`and .Wheelll being mounted Von a 'lever 12.,y f Vwhich is pivoted atf13 and'anarrr'lA of which is provided 4withfa counterweightll tourgeifO the furnace and y'in 'their-return Gto the lchargingfend of the furnace.` `rAs y shown FiguresjQ and 4, the'links are pro-A` 'videdwithaprons 17 which constitute work- 'so supporting surfaces on which the :articles l to' be treated 'are 'supported 'in theirr passage .through they furnace, these Aaprons being cutr` away at 18, Figure 2, so. that they canfreelyV pafarou'ndfthe wheels 1() and 11 fwithout interfering-with each other. e Q f The linksfare rprovided `with rollers 19y which cooperatew-ith a 4pa-Wl .QOZof arocker 2l, they being successively engaged bygthe pawl in` its, -rocki vided Withfa lhook *2'2`which envelops the rollers 19g to provide maximum* contact, rtherewith and Vthe pawl'is pivoted at 23 "to a lugprovided on .therocker`21 to `provide the line III-fIILaFigure 2; and Figure 4"" 'a similar view of the actuating mechanism" freedlplll jf'f 'Inove'ment of` the pawlfa's "it 'passes over, the* linksl prior'uto' its' engages yfmentlvvith"'the'rollers I9. l

. movementto advance 970 -lthe conveyerthroug Lthevfurnacef n e Tol-this ,end .thepawl member '20 is 'pro- 25, it being pivotally mounted thereon by trunnions 26. A link 27 is pivotally connected to a lug 28 on the rocker and to a lever 29 supported on the rocker shaft 30 underneath the forward end of the furnace, the angular movement of which subjects the rocker 21 to an oscillating -motion which causes the pawl 20 to traverse the links until it kdrops into engagement between a" p'air of rollers where itV willcause the chain,

to be advanced on-.the returnmovement of the rocker 21.

The lever 29 is actuated through a link 31 connected to a crank 32 ofa gear mechanism, the crank being 'preferably' connected theendless conveyer 9. Conveyer 9 is actu'- vated to convey the articles through the kfurnace as follows: the link 31 which is connected at oneendto a crank of the drive mechanism, is 1 subjected to reciprocating movementwhich causes lever-29 and rocker 21 to oscillate. `The shaped rocker 21 may fbe considerably above the line ofV contact of the return strand of the conveyer with the bottom of the wheel 11 to ensure intimate contact of the links with the arcuate surface vof the rocker. Thej pawl 2() which is pivotally mounted on rocker 21 at 23 is subjected to angular movement with movement of rocker 21 and the pawl passes over .rollers 19 when moving iii a clockwise direction and engages therollers 19 when moving; in the opposite direction. The pawl 2() in its clockwise movement drops between succesj sive rollers of the conveyer and when movement of the rocker 21 is reversed, the hook portion 22 of the pawl engages the roller 19 and pulls the chain in a forward direction,

50 i. e., toward, the slieave. wheel l1.

In this manner the work charged on the aprons 17 of the conveyer is caused to travel through tlieheating chamber at a' uniform rate to provide a predetermined heating cycle for its heat. treatment. Y As the work passes around the wheel 10 it falls into the' chute 8 and is discharged fromfthe furnace.

` It is immaterial whether the chain 9 is subject to expansion within the furnace since the pawl 20 has ample clearance between suc- I cessive rollers to fall into place regardless of the position of the rollers, and the pawl will advance the conveyer an amount equal to the spacing of the rollers for each rocking move- @5 ment of the member 21. Tension onthe .the movable drum.

chain 9 can be regulated through adjustment of the weights 14.

It is evident from the foregoing descripktion of this invention that conveyer mechanisms made in accordance therewith provide positive means for advancing work through aV furnace chamber without interference caused by thermal characteristics of the con"n veyer structure. It is to be noted that in .practice it is desirable to employ'two,lor

more, chains in transversely spaced relation to support axles, billets, sheets, or pans and the like, but where two or more of such conveyers are employed, the operation will be the same as described? Pans may be attached to a pair of chains for the treatment of small parts. j v

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing fromfthe principles herein set forth. f

I claim:

1. The combination with an endless chain conveyer, of a support extending the full length of the ware bearing strand of said conveyer, mechanism for engaging the successive links of said conveyer comprising a. segment shape rocker in constant engagement with said links and a pawl pivotally mounted on said rocker for engaging the links in one direction of its rocking movement. v f i 2. The combination with an endless chain Vconveyer of mechanism for engaging the sucment with said links, and a pawl pivotallyV mounted on said rocker for engaging the links in one direction of its rocking movement.

n 3. The combination with an endless chain conveyer comprising a conveyer drum having liked bearingsA and a drum mounted on a bellcrank lever one arm of which is provided with a counterweight, an endless chain conveyer disposed around the said drum, and

y mechanism for engaging the successive links of said conveyer comprising a segment shaped rocker adjacent the movable drum and in constant engagement with said links,

. and a pawl pivotally mounted on said rocker for engaging the links when the rocker is subjected to movement in the direction of .Y y,In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand.

1 RANDAL E. TALLEY. 

